Vegetable Crops Edition

Seasonal updates and alerts on insects, diseases, and weeds impacting vegetable crops. New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations updates between annual publication issues are included.
 
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April 5, 2018

South Jersey Vegetable Twilight Scheduled for 4/26

The South Jersey Vegetable Agents would like to invite you to our annual Spring integrated crop management meeting:

Vegetable Integrated Crop Management
Twilight Meeting
Thursday, April 26, 2018
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
East Vineland Fire Hall
4931 Landis Ave. across from the Savoy Restaurant
(park behind the building and enter conference room door in rear)

6:00 pm Robots, Roselle & Resistant Basil, Finally!
– Rick VanVranken, RCE Atlantic
6:15 pm Respiratory Protection Requirements for WPS-labeled Pesticides
– Patricia Hastings, Rutgers Pesticide Safety Educ Program Coordinator
6:45 pm Soil Fertility, Liming, and Silicon Nutrition
– Joseph Heckman, Ph.D., Extension Specialist – Soil Fertility
7:15 pm Update on Herbicides & Restrictions in New Jersey Vine Crops
– Dr. Thierry Besancon, RCE Specialty Crop Weed Specialist
7:45 pm Pepper Variety Evaluations
– Dr. Wes Kline, RCE Cumberland
8:00 pm Vegetable Disease Control Options for Spring Crops
– Dr. Andy Wyenandt, RCE Vegetable Plant Pathologist
8:30 pm Vegetable Insect Pest Update
– Dr. Joe Mahar, Vegetable IPM Coordinator
9:00 pm Adjourn

Pesticide Recertification Credits have been requested for this meeting.
Hope to see you there!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
March 15, 2018

Survey of the Current, Critical or ‘Hot Topic’ Insect Pests of the Northeast

In the spring of 2017, vegetable and field crop entomologists of the Northeast States were surveyed for a current snapshot of what they considered to be ‘hot-topic’, or, critical insect (and slug) pests in their state or region.  The responding states included New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.   The results of the survey, including both native and invasive pests, are listed in the accompanying table. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Vegetable Crops
February 26, 2018

US Food & Drug Administration Announces Microbiological Surveillance Sampling for Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Basil & Parsley) to Continue Through 2018

The US FDA has announced an ongoing surveillance program started in October 2017 will continue through 2018 until they collect at least 1600 samples each of fresh cilantro, parsley and basil. FDA inspectors will be visiting farm packinghouses, wholesale packers, domestic and import warehouses and shippers, as well as retail purveyors, From their press release,

From 1996 to 2015, the FDA reported nine [food born illness] outbreaks linked to basil, parsley, and cilantro, which resulted in 2,699 illnesses and 84 hospitalizations. Four of the outbreaks were linked to basil, three to cilantro, and two to parsley.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
February 26, 2018

New Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Website!

I’m forwarding this from Meredith Melendez and Wes Kline. If you thought you were subscribed to receive food safety updates in the past but have been wondering why you haven’t been receiving any news, please go to your subscription page and change from ‘Food Safety’ to ‘Commercial Agriculture Updates’. Long story short, but the food safety category was combined into the commercial ag updates, and for some reason, many subscriptions were not transferred to the new category.

Visit the new Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website for information on Good Agricultural Practices, the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, and USDA Third Party Audits.  Information can also be found on upcoming on-farm food safety workshops, publications and resources to help you understand and implement on-farm food safety practices.

Filed Under: Fruit, Vegetable Crops
February 26, 2018

NJ DEP Annual Ag Water Use Reports Due 2/28

If you downloaded the RCE irrigation pump log sheet posted here last fall, and you haven’t sent in your water use report yet, you have until Wed to calculate your monthly water use and submit it to NJ DEP. Keeping a hard copy of the log sheet by each well makes a simple way to record actual water use, but tallying the monthly and annual totals will take one more step. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
February 22, 2018

Still Time to Register for North Jersey Commercial Vegetable and/or Tree Fruit Meetings

Morris County Agent Peter Nitzsche and Hunterdon County Agent Megan Muehlbauer indicate there is still limited time to register for two upcoming educational events they are hosting at the Hunterdon County Complex in Flemington:

What:  North Jersey Commercial Vegetable Grower Meeting
When:  February 27, 2018
Where:  Hunterdon County Complex, Flemington, NJ
For Program & Registration Details go to https://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/North_Jersey_Commercial_Vegetable_Growers_Meeting_2018.pdf

What:  North Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting
When:  March 6, 2018
Where:  Hunterdon County Complex, Flemington, NJ
For Program & Registration Details go to https://events.rutgers.edu/pdfs/NorthJerseyFruitMeeting_Program_2018.pdf

NJ & PA PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED FOR THESE PROGRAMS

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Vegetable Crops